‘APC PCC not requesting Nigerians to pay N18,500 for empowerment fund’

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has said it is not soliciting N18,500 from Nigerians wishing to access empowerment fund from the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu campaign organisation.

PCC Secretary, Abiodun James Faleke, in a statement, disclosed that persons behind the fraud were unscrupulous elements who hacked his official Facebook account, with a view to extorting money from unsuspecting Nigerians.

He, therefore, enjoined Nigerians to ignore the perpetrators. Faleke, who doubles as Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Finance, said: “I have been inundated with reports from several Nigerians about the activities of some unscrupulous elements who hacked my official Facebook account.

“These individuals requested that the intending beneficiaries should pay the sum of N18,500 into a designated account.”

“One of the individuals behind this fraud is also sending messages to unsuspecting victims using the name of a certain Dr. Lukman Johnny, with a phone number, and who is said to be a staff of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Abuja.”

Faleke stated: “I wish to put on record that I am not aware of any empowerment fund being allocated or distributed to any individual or group of persons by Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu or by myself.

“At no given time did I initiate such a scheme and will not subscribe to any form of dubious activities of fraudsters.

“While I urge Nigerians not to subscribe to the antics of these criminals, I also wish to appeal to all and sundry to track and report activities of the criminals to relevant security agencies near them and ensure that they are apprehended and prosecuted.”